A.N./Disclaimer: Most of the characters and the original plot belong to J.K. Rowling. I do not own them. Neither am I profiting from this nor do I plan to commercialize it. I am writing for fun.
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Harry looked towards the staff table and saw Sirius smiling like a goon. Harry returned a smile and mouther a silent 'Thanks'. He turned to the package in front of him and started to unpack it. That was the cue. Ron couldn't hold back any longer and started tearing the packaging like an uncouth barbarian. As the last shredding of the packaging was removed, in front of Harry lay the most beautiful broom he had ever seen and a bag tired to the broom handle. Harry guessed the bag contained the Seeker gear. He looked at the engraving on the side facing him. 'Harry James Potter' was engraved in a small but elegant handwriting. Below his name was the Potter dragon and the Potter motto. He turned the broom and saw the other side bore the name 'Firebolt' and the Peverell thestral. He was moved by the thoughtfulness of the engravings.
Harry was brought out of his muse by a certain redhead, "Bloody hell, Harry! You just had to go and do it!"
Chapter 13
Harry stared at Ron, befuddled. He asked, "And what exactly did I do Ron?"
Ron replied with venom laced in his words, "You got yourself a Firebolt, a custom one at that. We know you are rich; you didn't have to show it off like that."
"It is a gift from my father", said Harry with his eyes narrowed.
"You sound just like the git, Malfoy", retorted Ron. "'Gift from my father', seriously? He is your godfather. Your father was James Potter. Don't you see, he is trying to win you over by giving you this expensive broom."
Ron, having taken Harry's silence as his cue to continue with his garb, added, "If he was really that concerned about you, why did he not look for you all these years? He is a Lord, why could he not pressurize the Wizengamot into giving him a hearing?"
Harry was too hurt by Ron's words and couldn't formulate a reply quickly enough. Ron, oblivious to Harry's emotions, carried on, "You've always been given special treatment, haven't you? First year, there was the Nimbus 2000. The first-years aren't allowed to have personal brooms, but they let you have one anyway. I am sure you bought it to show off. Why won't you? You're the frickin' Boy-Who-Lived after all. You have all this money and the titles that you will inherit. How does it matter if you spent some of it on a racing broom?
"And then there was the second year. You wanted to be seen as a hero and a savior again. That is why you let Ginny be taken into the chamber. You are the bloody heir to two of the Founders. You could have easily stopped things from escalating so much. But no, why would the great Boy-Who-Lived do that? How else can he get more fame?
"And then this year, it's like you've completely changed. I don't even know who you are. You are always studying with Hermione and others. You don't even want to talk quidditch or play chess with me, mate. Am I not good enough for you and your fame? Oh, of course, why didn't I think of it. I don't come from a major house. How can I be important to your fame and eventful life? I am sure that you couldn't bear the thought that I was the only third-year in Gryffindor with a new broom. That's why you wrote to your godfather, who promptly decided to gift you the most expensive broom there is. Can't have dear Potter not feeling special, can we? Had I known –"
"Enough", Harry cut him off with an icy edge to his voice. "One more word and you will regret it." Harry's eyes were glowing with magic, and he had the Elder Wand aimed at the redhead.
Ron had never been scared of Harry before; however, the look in Harry's eyes and with the wand aimed at him, Ron was more scared of Harry than he had been when Harry and he were being attacked by a nest of acromantulas.
Hermione, Luna, Neville and Susan had also reached for their wands and had their hands on them. They had never seen Harry this furious before. Sure, they had seen Harry angry at Dumbledore for his action and inaction, but he had never been so furious that his wand had appeared in his hand without him having to so much as twitch his hand for it. They understood that Harry's magic had reacted on Harry's intent and anger.
The members on the staff table had now stopped discussing and were looking at the young mage with his wand drawn, aimed at the redhead. They could see the look on Harry's face. Sirius, Amelia, Augusta and Minerva looked satisfied. Of course, their plan had worked.
Dumbledore, on the other hand, was staring at the altercation with horror. He thought, This is bad. If Ronald Weasley sabotages his friendship with the brat, my plans for him will never come to fruition. I swear in the name of Merlin, if the fool had sabotaged his arranged friendship over a stupid broom, I will be having a word with Molly about her stupid spawn. I will probably have to obliviate them –. He stopped mid-thought and took in the scene again. Everyone on the staff table was watching the altercation. So had the whole school. This is worse. I cannot go about obliviating everyone. Especially the thrice damned Black, Bones and the horrid Longbottom bitch. I can't be imprisoned or be dead so soon. Think, Albus. Think. Too much power yet to be obtained, many a lemon drops yet to be sucked on. Oh, lemon drops, that's it. I will have to potion the entire school again. Very well, nothing to panic about. Nothing is lost yet.
Albus and the staff members left the staff table and approached the group to intervene the altercation.
Harry, who had paused for a few seconds, continued, "Let me make a few things clear to you, Mr. Weasley. Sirius Orion Black is my blood-adopted father, my godfather, and the Lord of my house. I will have you know that he loves me dearly and just wants to see me happy. He is not trying to win me over. He feels guilty that he wasn't around for my prior birthdays. This broom is his gift of apology for not being able to fulfill his duties as my parent and godparent. And just so you know, both he and I were wronged by a few spiteful witches and wizards in the ministry. The only reason my father did not go crazy when he was in Azkaban was because he was innocent and wanted to raise me up at the earliest opportunity available to him. James and Lily Potter are my parents, and so is Sirius Black.
"The rule about first-years you spoke of was only bent for me because I made it into the Quidditch team in my first year itself. I did not purchase it. It was gifted to me by Professor McGonagall because she was keeping a promise made to my father. She had promised my father on my first birthday that should I make it to the house Quidditch team in my first year, she would let me have a personal broom, one that she would gift. Being the Gryffindor Head of House, she wanted me to have the best of the brooms in the market to increase our chances of winning the Quidditch House Cup.
"The incidents in the first year and the second year happened inside the school, whose wards communicate with the headmaster, not me. I did not even know about my heirships until it was mentioned in the Daily Prophet after my father's trial. If I am not mistaken, your mother opposed to me being taught about my heritage by my father before the summer began. It was only at the beginning of this year that I came to know that I could interact with Hogwarts in times of emergency, should there be a need.
"You know what amuses me? That you enjoyed being in the limelight after the said incidents in the first two years. How come you did not complain then but now you suddenly seem to have issues with it? I think I know why. This year seems to be going far more normal than it has ever been since I set foot into the magical world. No incidents, no adventures. This means you don't get to gloat in all the attention you might have received. In fact, I clearly remember how jealous you were when Hermione and Neville were presented with the Award for Special Services to School. It's like you felt that they were stealing your limelight.
"And I think that's why you don't like that I am taking my studies seriously. I seem to be spending quite a lot of time studying in the library, which means less time doing other things, like finding ourselves in a life-and-death situation. Moreover, you just can't digest anyone else doing better than you. That is why you lash out at them. Tell me Weasley, did you or did you not receive 5000 galleons at the end of last term from the Board? Hmm? I am pretty sure you could have placed an order for a Firebolt on your own, and you wouldn't have made a fuss about it now. Don't make a bloody scene about a gift I received from my father.
"Oh, and while we are at it, let me make one bloody thing absolutely clear. I despise the moniker 'the Boy-Who-Lived' with unbridled passion. It is a bloody reminder that everyone of my family line was killed but me. It is a reminder that my parents were killed that night; something that that pea brain of yours doesn't seem to understand. The next time you use that crap around me, I swear on the Founders above that I will make you experience my years with the Dursleys. Some friend you are using that shitty title.
"Do yourself a favor and get the hell out of here before I lose my shit with you. Merlin forbid if I ever call you a friend. I don't see status while making friends. What I do see, though, is how respectful they are of others' feelings and what kind of a being they are. You are a thoughtless bully who feels he is owed by everyone just because you put in a little effort. You know why Hermione ended up in that stall in the first year? You know why she was in danger? Quirrell might have let in the troll, but Hermione was in the stall, crying her eyes out because of a disgusting remark you had made.
"How the fuck are you better than Malfoy? At least Malfoy has the balls to come and say things to our face. Oh, don't you think it is weird that everyone knew who I was before I joined Hogwarts, yet nobody ever approached me to be friends with them? Turns out you had been badmouthing me and scaring everyone. Hell, you even pushed my godbrother from befriending me. Who the fuck gave you any right to decide who I befriend and who I don't? I am done with you, Weasley. If you ever try to badmouth my friends or I, I swear in the name of Merlin, I will let Godric lose on you. I can safely say from your words and actions today that I might have been out of my mind when I became friends with you. Now get the fuck out of my sight."
Harry then turned his ire to the Ravenclaw table and said, "And that does for you too, scums. You pathetic bullies going after my godsister, Luna Lovegood. You have twenty-four hours to return everything that you've stolen from her and apologize to her. You dare sully the name and house of my noble ancestor once again and I'll personally deal with you imbeciles. You might belong to the house of wits, yet I can frankly say that quite a lot of you lack the necessary brains to understand what it means to be in Lady Rowena's house."
The staff members who had been approaching the altercation had heard everything, and so had the rest of the school. Before Ron could even muster a reply, Albus Dumbledore placed a hand on Harry's shoulder and said in a grandfatherly tone, "Mr. Potter, must you speak to your friend –"
Harry immediately cut off the bearded fool and replied in the same icy tone, "Unhand me, Headmaster Dumbledore. Weasley here is no friend of mine. I don't make friends with selfish people who cannot respect others' feelings."
Dumbledore quickly withdrew his hand and said, "I apologize, Mr. Potter, but surely you can forgive young Mr. Weasley here for whatever it is that he did wrong? He was your first friend, after all."
Harry's next words however made Dumbledore regret his decision of trying to mend Harry's friendship with the redhead. "Headmaster Dumbledore, you are wrong. Professor Hagrid was my first friend. And like I said, I might have been out of my mind to have not noticed Mr. Weasley's thoughtless actions and words before. And why does it bother you if I am friends with Mr. Weasley or not? One would assume that you have an ulterior motive. May be there is something for you to gain from my friendship with him?"
"W-Whatever d-do you mean, Mr. Potter?", faltered Dumbledore. "I just did not want to see a friendship being broken, especially one that you seemed to cherish the last couple of years."
Harry replied, "Yeah, well, let's just say that my eyes are open and I can see things clearly now." The next words were whispered in a voice so low that only Dumbledore could hear, "I warn you now, should you try to do anything detrimental to me or the ones I cherish, I will open your can of worms for everyone to see. The Elder Wand has shown me all your deeds. You wouldn't want me to tell everyone about a certain wizard in Nurmengard Castle in Austria now, would you?"
"O-Of course, M-Mr. Potter", stuttered Dumbledore, his eyes wide with horror. "I apologize for trying to intervene in your personal matters."
Harry nodded and added in the same whisper with a smile, "And just so you know, you won't be able to visit Nurmengard or Gellert anymore. I have taken over it. Since you hadn't purchased it off Gellert, who never owned it in the first place as he had illegally built it on a land owned by an Austrian family, I purchased it and redid the wards. Mother Magic has been watching you, professor, and she is most displeased. Put a foot wrong, she will come for you, and she will come when you least expect it. Oh, by the way I know for a fact that you knew about the bullying in Ravenclaw House but did nothing to stop it. Perhaps that helps with your Greater Good? Just so you know, Lord Black has four votes from my houses, which he must exercise according to my wishes; that is majority enough to remove you from your post. Clean up their acts or you will be out of a job soon."
Harry's eyes were swirling with magic. Dumbledore was utterly terrified of the young mage in front of him. The entire demeanor of Harry's had sent shivers down his spine, and others present inside the hall, he was quite sure. He could feel the boy's wrath, and the aura coming off him. The fact that the boy had threatened him with the same statement that his grandfather had all those years ago wasn't lost to him either.
Harry did not wait a second longer. He shrunk his broom, placed it in his pocket and walked out of the Great Hall. Hermione, Neville, Luna and Susan followed him. As the doors to the Great Hall closed, Dumbledore let out a breath that he didn't even know he was holding. This isn't good. What else has the brat discovered? He cannot know everything. Absolutely cannot. It is necessary for the Greater Good. If the truth about Gellert gets out, things would get messy. What must I do? Merlin, please help me.
Merlin, who probably was watching things unfold from somewhere in his afterlife, smirked. He thought, 'Of course, I will help, but not the old goat. As if I will choose you over my descendant, you fool. My many times great-grandson needs my help bringing you to justice in the most ruthless manner possible.' He called for Aether, the Emrys Chimaera. He told the majestic beast, "My friend, I have called you here to ask you for a favor. Could you please arrange for one of your many descendants to pay my descendant a visit? I believe it to be imperative that my young one speak with his grandfather, Charlus Potter, and his parents, using the stone tomorrow in the living realm. He will need the time to prepare for things that are yet to come his way. We cannot let our current Lord suffer too much."
Aether nuzzled against Merlin and replied, "It shall be done, Merlin. Our Harry will restore our house to its former glory." Aether then left Merlin to arrange a meeting between Harry and one of his descendants.
Harry was walking at a brisk pace and headed directly towards the Great Lake. His friends, who had been following him, had caught up to him and were walking in silence with him. Luna broke the silence, "With the Lord now returned, he must bring down the ones who tarnish the name of his ancestor. Light will now reach out to his Lord. Mother has been wronged and is angry. The Dragon and his friends will burn the land of dark down; for from the ashes rises a beautiful phoenix. For Light has finally returned to unite the beings to do Mother's bidding."
Everyone was staring at Luna with confusion but Harry, who had a small smile. He said, "Luna is a seer, just like her mother. What she said just now was a prophecy. It is surprising that she prophesized just now. You see, I came down here because my Emrys ring was pulling me towards here. Luna's prophecy clears things up for me. Let's look at the first line. 'With the Lord now returned, he must bring down the ones who tarnish the name of his ancestor.' I believe it has to do with me being the Lord to the Houses of Emrys and Slytherin. Dumbledore sees himself as the Leader of Light and the second coming of Merlin, who is my ancestor. However, his actions are not something that my ancestor would have done. The same goes for Slytherin. Salazar was not a blood snob nor was he a dark wizard, but Riddle and his followers have tarnished his name by bastardizing his noble house. I must bring them down.
"'Light will now reach out to his Lord.' I think it talks about Aether, the Emrys Chimaera, wanting to reach out to me, the current Lord Emrys, with some message. Aether was named after the primordial god of light, Aether. 'Mother has been wronged and is angry.' Riddle violated the principles of Mother Magic when he used magic to bring about chaos and terror, and the creation of horcruxes. Dumbledore has not done much better either. He fooled the entire Magical Britain to push around schemes that would benefit his twisted idea of Greater Good. This has angered Mother Magic.
"'The Dragon and his friends will burn the land of dark down; for from the ashes rises a beautiful phoenix.' The Dragon, means me, the Lord Potter for House of Potter is represented by the Elder Dragon. It means that my friends, that is everyone I value, along with me, will bring justice to the Isles of Britannia by punishing all the Death Eaters in the same way how the High Council would have done. The symbol of High Council was a phoenix. I think it also means that after the judgements and punishments have been carried out, the new government that shall be established would be as good as the High Council.
"'For Light has finally returned to unite the beings to do Mother's bidding.' It means that the House of Emrys, called Light because of Aether, has returned. This has completed the High Council for the first time in over a thousand years. We must dissolve the Wizengamot and the Ministry to set laws in place that will criminalize discrimination of any form and all magical beings will be united again, just how they were supposed to be.
"Am I right, Luna?", finished Harry.
Luna nodded her head and replied, "Yes, Harry. We four will alert the elders about this tomorrow when you are busy carrying out what you need to after your meeting today."
Harry was a bit confused and wanted to ask Luna what she meant when he felt a shift in magic around him. He turned and saw a chimaera approaching him. The chimaera bent its knees and bowed to Harry, who in turn returned the bow. Harry's friends were staring at the beast and Harry with wonder.
The chimaera said, "It is good to finally meet you, my Lord. I am Callum, a descendant of Lord Aether, the Great. I bring a message to you."
Harry replied, "Hello Callum, it is good to meet you too. Please call me Harry."
"I apologize, my Lord", said Callum. "None of our kind can address you by your name but Lord Aether."
Harry nodded in understanding and said, "In that case, I will accept. What is it that Lord Aether wants me to be informed about?"
"It isn't a message from Lord Aether, but one from Lord Emrys before you. He wanted Lord Aether to pass a message through me. I have also been asked to stay on school grounds for your protection", replied Callum. "Lord Emrys wants you to use your stone to interact with your grandfather, Lord Charlus Potter, and your parents tomorrow. He feels you need to prepare for the things yet to come, and nobody better to learn from than the vicious Potter Dragon, Late Lord Charlus Potter."
Harry nodded and replied, "Thank you, Callum. I will make sure to talk with them tomorrow. Is there anything I can do for you to make your stay on castle grounds easier?"
Callum replied, "No, my Lord. Thank you for asking." He paused for a bit and continued, "There is one more thing, my Lord. The Grimoire of our ancient house has a potion which when used on the night of no moon can help in curing your uncle from the disease of the night of full moon. Our Late Lord used to disguise himself and cure people. I thought it would be helpful to you."
Harry looked very happy to hear the statement. With a wide smile, he said, "Thank you so much, Callum. I will look into it and cure Uncle Moony, and other people suffering from lycanthropy."
"You are welcome, my Lord", replied Callum. "I must get going, my Lord. If you ever need my help, call for me using your Lordship ring."
Harry nodded and bade farewell to Callum. He turned to his friends and recounted his conversation with Callum.
Over lunch that day, Harry and the group informed the adults about their plan of not having any classes the next day. Harry was to use the day to interact with his parents and his grandfather while the remaining four were going to tell the prophecy to the adults and chill throughout the day in the library of the Tower.
Ron Weasley had stayed away from the five the entire day after the breakfast, and so had Ginny Weasley. She had wanted to worm her way into the group but did not know how to approach them since she did not want to draw any of the remaining ire of the group. She had decided to wait for a couple of days before approaching them. Fred and George Weasley had quickly tracked down Harry and the group after lunch and apologized for their brother's behavior. Harry had quickly dismissed them saying, "I don't have a problem with you two. It is Ron whom I have an issue with, and he has a long way to go before I can forgive him for his words this morning." Harry told them Ron's exact words and the twins agreed that Harry was right in his stance and that they were ashamed of their brother's actions.
November 20, 1993
The Tower of Gryffindor Chamber
9:30 A.M.
Harry was seated on a chair in the master study of the Tower. He retrieved the stone from his ring and called for his father, his mother and his grandfather. After a few seconds, he saw three spectral beings standing in front of him. The first man was wearing a pair of glasses. The man looked exactly like him. The same unruly hair and the crooked grin. The only difference were the eyes and his nose. The woman beside him had a nose that looked just like Harry's. He was sure if he could see the colors of the spectral beings, he would have seen a pair of the greenest eyes, just like his. The older man beside them had a face like his dad's. He also had the same crooked smile, but his hair looked a bit tamed, probably due to its increased length.
Harry said, "Hello, mum, dad and grandpa."
Lily replied with a warm smile, "Hello, my dear baby. I never thought I'd get to see you grown up. I am so sorry that we aren't around to see you grow up."
James nodded and added, "Yes, Harry. We would have loved to watch you grow up."
Charlus said, "Hello, dear grandson. I take it that you've retrieved our family stone."
Harry replied, "I would have loved to grow up with you all. I miss having you all around. I am glad that Ragnok could retrieve the stone. I can now talk with you and seek your guidance as well. I didn't have a good time after your deaths, but things have changed in the past few months, and they are now better."
James looked alarmed and asked, "What do you mean you didn't have a good time? Didn't Padfoot look after you well?"
"Oh, no. Padfoot didn't do anything wrong", replied Harry. "Dadfoot had been thrown into Azkaban right after your death and I was sent to live with the Dursleys."
"Whaaat?", exclaimed Lily. "Why did Sirius get thrown into Azkaban? What the hell happened? And why did you go to my sister when we had a list of guardians mentioned in our will? What the hell happened after our deaths?' James looked extremely angry as well.
Charlus spoke before his son could go on a tirade, "Let us give Harry the time to tell us exactly what has happened, right from your deaths to this very day. Can you do that Harry?"
Harry nodded and began his tale. He told them of being taken by Hagrid to Dumbledore who placed him at the doorstep of his barbaric relatives. He told them about how Sirius had been illegally incarcerated without a trial using some drummed up charges, and how the wills had been sealed by Dumbledore. He told them of his time with the Dursleys and his return to the magical world. He told them about his time at Gringotts and the lack of any mention about their wills. He recalled his interaction with the Weasley family, the train ride to Hogwarts and his sorting. He went on to recount the incidents of his first year, the troll, the Quidditch game, return of the Cloak, the detention in the Forbidden Forest, and the incident involving Voldemort aka Riddle and the stone.
He followed it up with the tale of his summer, meeting Dobby and being freed by the Weasleys. He then brought up about the closed entrance to the Platform and how Ron and he had taken the flying car to Hogwarts. It was followed by the incidents pertaining to Chamber of Secrets and the Quidditch match where Lockhart had vanished his bones. He then told about the visit to the acromantula nest followed by the showdown with the basilisk and Riddle.
He told them about his interaction with Adrian and the meeting with Godric Gryffindor and Rowena Ravenclaw, which led to him reaching out to Director Ragnok. He told them about the findings of the investigation, how Dumbledore had gotten himself named as his magical guardian, appointed a corrupt goblin and used the gold from the vaults for his plans. He also told them about his lordships and the discovery of a horcrux in his scar, which led to location of the other soul containers. He told them about his familiars, his time in the Time Chamber and their plans.
He then told them about how Lady Hogwarts had helped in the capture of Peter which had led to Sirius' exoneration and taking up of Harry's guardianship, though he no longer required one. He told them about the sale of the basilisk and the disbursement of funds. He recounted their classes with the adults and the construction of Lily's Keep. He also told how he had gotten the Elder Wand and how the Elder Wand had shown its True Master the deeds of Dumbledore. He informed them of the establishment of the Phoenix Group. He also told them how the stone had been found with one of the horcruxes of Riddle. He told them about the third year, the escape of Peter, the stationing of dementors and appearance of Lumiere. He told them about Luna's prophecy and the message from Merlin brought to him via Callum.
After Harry had finished his tale, he watched the looks of shock, horror and pride on the faces of his parents and his grandfather. Lily was the first to respond as he felt her vestige engulfing him, "My poor baby, we are so sorry you had to go through so many trying moments. If I could, I would strangle the bearded bastard and set him on fire. He better not come here after his death, or I will make his afterlife a living hell."
James added, "We are sorry, son. We should have had more failsafes in place. That said, we didn't think that Dumbledore could have fooled the entire Wizengamot."
Harry replied, "It is okay, mum, dad. I would have liked things to be better right from the start, but we can't change the past. I am happy that I have competent adults now to help me out. I read up the Peverell heirloom book on the stone, cloak and the wand. I can call for our ancestors who had been part of Peverell magic without having to put them through any pain. This means I can also consult you for your counsel."
"Right you are, Harry", said Charlus. "Let us first start with Albus. What are your thoughts about him?"
"He is a necessary evil at the moment", replied Harry. "We need him around till the death of Riddle, but we can try him after Riddle's death and punish him accordingly."
"But why do you need him?", asked James. "He hasn't done anything but create obstacles for you. The sooner you get rid of him, better are the chances of you having a happier life."
"Be that as it may, James", added Charlus, "Dumbledore is required for his magical prowess; however, that does not mean that he needs to be as influential as he is now."
"What do you mean, grandpa?", asked Harry.
"Well,", began Charlus, "you first need to remove him from the post of Chief Warlock. You may not like your fame, Harry, but you must wield it when necessary. He sealed the Will of Jamie and Lily. The fact that the Will belonged to four of the most influential and powerful houses should have been enough for his removal from the post. Add to it that he played a role in illegal incarceration of Sirius, despite knowing who the real culprit was should leave no more doubts. The Potter-Bones-Longbottom alliance will vote for the removal and so will the Dark faction."
"Grandpa, the Houses of Black, Dagworth-Granger and Draven will also be joining the alliance this Winter Solstice", replied Harry. "The alliance will then be renamed as The Paragon Alliance."
"Houses of Dagworth-Granger and Draven?", asked Charlus. "They had been dormant for a while. Are you friends with the heir/heiress?"
"Yes", replied Harry. "My best friend, Hermione Granger is the heiress to both the houses. She took up the Ladyship on 19th of September. Like me, she hasn't filed for her emancipation yet. Aunty Amelia Bones is her magical guardian. She is going to declare the allegiance on her behalf."
"Excellent", exclaimed Charlus.
"But I don't understand, why should we remove Dumbledore from his post of Chief Warlock?", asked Harry.
Lily replied, "Patience, Harry. I am sure your grandfather will explain you why; however, I agree with him. Dumbledore currently has too much influence. Removing one of his positions of power will actually be a boon to you and your plans."
"Quite", added Charlus. "Dumbledore is a politician. He loves power and influence over people, but he doesn't want to be seen as one who enjoys it. His calm grandfather persona blinds people from seeing him as someone who he truly is; a politician who looks after his own interests alone. If you were to try and put Albus in prison right away, chances are you would fail. And even if you succeeded, the wizarding public will have trouble believing that their beloved and revered 'Leader of Light' can do anything so sinister.
"That said, you could always plant seeds of doubt in the minds of people. Start with removal of Dumbledore from his position of Chief Warlock. Have Amelia declare that the DMLE has already opened an investigation into him; therefore, he needs to be relieved of his post in the Wizengamot. Do it at the Winter Solstice session, in presence of some personnel from the ICW. He would also lose the position of Supreme Mugwump. On the next day, use the Daily Prophet, the Quibbler and Mind the Twinkle to describe the decision. The Daily Prophet and the Quibbler can have a summarized version but print the entire thing, word for word in Mind the Twinkle. While you're at it, also add the complete details from the trial of Sirius. The people will then realize that Dumbledore is not infallible, and this will also help in promoting Mind the Twinkle, which will come in handy in the next part of the plan. Are you following me till now?"
Harry nodded his head in the affirmative. Charlus continued, "The next thing you need to do is write about your time with the Dursleys. You might not like it but if the details got out, Dumbledore will be hated by the public. Set it to be published in Mind the Twinkle after a week of the previous whistleblower. Keep articles ready about Dumbledore's misdeeds ready as well. The next time he does something stupid or puts you in danger, start publishing them, one by one. You could start with the incidents in your first two years, followed by his thefts and corruption. Make sure you mention that the goblins helped you uncover the corruption that the fool had partaken in. This will ensure that by the time you try Dumbledore, he won't have a legacy to fall back on. Don't forget, you also need to mention about Gellert Grindelwald and how Dumbledore has been keeping him alive. Speaking of Grindelwald, have you learned anything about Dumbledore from him?"
Harry nodded and said, "I have only visited there once with all of the extended family members. Gellert seemed unstable but he provided us with the memory of his interactions with Dumbledore after much coercing. Gellert, due to being placed in a very powerful magic suppressing cuffs, was very weak. Sirius visits him once every month to interrogate him, hoping to get more information on Dumbledore. After seeing the memories, we saw that Dumbledore used to talk about Riddle with Grindelwald. We want to know if Dumbledore had told him about his plans and stuff. Turns out Dumbledore has a case of vials filled with memories on Tom Riddle. I have a copy of the memories. I had asked one of the Potter elves to steal it from his office when he was away. We made a copy of them with the help of goblins and placed them back in his office."
"Excellent", said Charlus. "You can add these stories about Grindelwald as well. What are you going to do with Grindelwald?"
Harry replied, "The adults said that they would execute him as soon as there's nothing more to be learned from him."
"Perfect", said Charlus. "Make sure you guys finish his interrogation soon. You don't want another Dark Lord returning and terrorizing the magical world."
James added, "And you should have articles on Riddle as well. Go through those memories and see if you can find something that might help you burst the myth around the Voldemort persona."
Harry nodded. Lily asked, "What are your plans about the werewolves?"
Harry shrugged his shoulders and said, "I am not entirely sure how to approach this without tipping off the return of House of Emrys."
Lily replied, "All you have to do is tell Andi about the process and get it patented as a property of the Phoenix Group. Get someone from the ICW and the Ministry to approve it. And then Andi can lead a group of potioneers to brew the potion that can be distributed to the werewolves at Apria Apothecary. You don't really have to give away the return of House of Emrys."
"Why did I not think of it?", exclaimed Harry.
"Does not matter, Harry", replied Lily. "You now know what to do. Besides, you are not supposed to do everything. That is why you have a group to help you out and you also have us."
"That is quite good", added Charlus. "In both the wars, the werewolves had allied with Grindelwald and Voldemort because the ministry had treated them with disdain. If they are no longer suffering from lycanthropy and not discriminated, Riddle will be down by a considerable number of henchmen."
"What are your plans for the Death Eaters?", asked James.
"We were planning to dissolve the Wizengamot as soon as Riddle returns", admitted Harry. "We will first execute the Death Eaters in Azkaban just like the High Council would have. We would then punish the remaining Death Eaters accordingly. Once the threat of Riddle has been dealt with, we would draft a new constitution and set some laws on equality that can never be amended before setting up the Wizengamot and the Ministry."
"While all that sounds good", began James, "once you start executing the Death Eaters in Azkaban, the ones roaming free create havoc. They will hunt you and your friends down."
Lily added, "And with Riddle back, they would think they can do whatever they want."
"So, what do we do?", asked a puzzled Harry.
"Kill all the convicted Death Eaters", said Charlus. "Ask Amelia to go through their trial records to make sure that there are no repetitions of Sirius' case and have them killed. Think about it this way, what if when Riddle returns, they are broken out of the prison before you could have them executed? There will be a big mess to deal with. Learn from what happened to Peter and kill them in Azkaban itself. Make sure that they are all killed on the same day. Get Alastor Moody to devise a perfect plan. I am quite sure Moody would love to put them down for good. It would be perfect if it happened on Winter Solstice as well."
Harry looked shocked. He asked, "Is this all necessary?"
Lily, puzzled, asked, "What do you mean Harry?"
Harry thought for a bit and said, "I don't know, it just doesn't feel..light? Going after Dumbledore with a media campaign after ousting from his post, killing the Death Eaters without a retrial. It all feels like the move of a dirty politician, and I am just a child. Why should I be the one to do all this? How am I better than Riddle and his lackeys? How are we better than them?"
James and Lily looked at Harry with admiration and concern, but Charlus had a stony look on his face. He put a hand on James to stop him from saying anything. Charlus said, "I understand your conflict, dear grandson. Let me tell you a few things, and then you can decide what you want to do. First of all, I want you to know that we are here to advise you, but your actions must be of your own volition. And you are not doing anything for your personal gain. You are doing what needs to be done for the betterment of the magical society.
"After the end of the war with Grindelwald, his captured followers were tried under the influence of a strong truth serum in the ICW court and were executed immediately for the heinous crimes against magic. The then Supreme Mugwump, a wizard from Germany, had taken a serious stand against these terrorists because that's what they are. He used to say, 'No time is long enough for them to repent their mistakes. No prison is harsh and secure enough to hold them forever. Some other dark lord or lady will arise, and the lackeys will follow them. They have murdered, raped and robbed countless innocent lives. Why waste any part of the people's money in housing them in prisons?' The entire ICW had rallied with him. The lackeys were all executed and there was a period of calm. Nations had begun to restore to their former glory. Do I think it was harsh? No, because if they broke out from the prison, they would go back to their murderous ways.
"At the same time, Dumbledore had been hailed a national hero in Magical Britain for his 'legendary duel' against Grindelwald. The duel was great, but nobody knew what happened to Grindelwald. It was said that Dumbledore had killed him but now we know that he did not. What do you think might have happened if the ICW got the wind of Grindelwald's status? They would have executed him. Dumbledore had started to enjoy the popularity, and thus, kept quiet about Grindelwald. He was even offered the post of the Minister of Magic but turned it down, promptly. He wanted to 'nurture young minds' was what he had said. In fact, he had not taken up any positions of power until the early 1970s. He was appointed the Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot in the Winter Solstice session of 1974. Though the entire Potter-Bones-Longbottom alliance had objected the appointment, we did not have the required two-thirds majority to win our case. The alliance was also smaller in 1974 than it was in 1979, when I passed away.
"Following a good start to his tenure, Albus was appointed as the British representative to the ICW in 1976, which was followed by his appointment as the Supreme Mugwump in 1977. It all sounds hypocritical, doesn't it? Someone who wanted to nurture young minds had accepted two positions of highest power in Magical Britain and the ICW. And look at what has happened after it. Think about the Death Eaters who are held captive in Azkaban. Are you telling me that none of them deserve to be executed? Can you put up a valid argument saying they deserve to live? The ICW could not intervene in the handling of Death Eaters because the lackeys were from Britain and ICW would not intervene a country's judicial system unless another country has an issue with it. Grindelwald's crimes had spread across the continent, which is why ICW had taken up the responsibility to hand out punishments."
Charlus paused for a moment. James added his two knuts, "Think about it, Harry. Malfoy was an avid supporter of Riddle and now he is walking around free, a friend of the minister to boot. The Dragon inside you would not let that happen for too long."
Lily, looking at torn expression on her son's face, said, "We understand that it is too much for a young child, Harry. If we were around, we would have gladly done everything in our power to keep you and the others of your generation safe. The worst part of a war is that you must think of the future generations. Your kids, their friends and their kids and so on. If the Death Eaters are not killed, they will endanger the future generations just like yours has been."
"I know, mum", replied Harry, "and I get it. But isn't there a way to do it legally? I understand why Dumbledore needs to be taken care of and I also understand that the Death Eaters cannot be reformed but isn't there a way to deal with them legally?"
"My child", said Charlus, "it is due to the loopholes in the current laws of Magical Britain that has led to a handful of Death Eaters being captured and the rest walking about freely. Did you not say that your despiteful potions master is a Death Eater who had been let go only because of Dumbledore's words and his twisted arrangement with the Wizengamot? Does it not sound weird to you that Dumbledore went out of his way to protect one particular Death Eater but did not give a rat's ass about Sirius? Had the laws been more ironclad, this wouldn't have been the case. Whatever it is about this potions master, you need to find out. Get Sirius to prank the information out of him. Offer the goblins some gold to assist you with it, if you have to. Whatever it is, you need to find out.
"As for executing the captured Death Eaters legally, the only way is to try them again in the court of ICW. However, the issue with trying to execute them in a legal manner is that if any of the free Death Eaters gets the wind of it, there are chances that something like Pettigrew could happen. Someone could break them out and you will have another problem to deal with it."
Charlus paused again for Harry to comprehend everything that had been said. Lily took over, "In the first war, the dementors of Azkaban had sided with Riddle. Chances are that they will side with him again. Should that happen, it would be a walk in the park for him to free his followers. The names of the Death Eaters that you said have been imprisoned are some of the most dangerous ones. If they are free again, it will be disastrous for Magical Britain again."
James added, "I don't know why they were not executed but I can tell you this; locking them up in a prison guarded by the very creatures who had joined Riddle the first time around is like keeping an army ready for their commander. It was a foolish decision, but we can be grateful for it because that meant Sirius wasn't executed. It could have been Dumbledore's little plan from the beginning, but I don't want to blame him for something we don't have the evidence for. And besides, you cannot keep on waiting for the eventual return of Riddle to deal with it. How long are you going to wait? You don't even know when he will return."
Harry nodded and asked Charlus, "So, the only way is to get our hands dirty?"
"I am afraid, yes", began Charlus. "Amelia as the Head of DMLE could arrange for a trusted group of aurors and Moody to come up with a plan to kill them. Probably by potioning them. Look in the Peverell Grimoire, I remember seeing something that could be of help to you. According to what you've told us, there are ten deadly Death Eaters in Azkaban. These need to be put down for good. And if Dumbledore's dismissal from ICW is achieved, then ICW will probably start looking at ways to get rid of the dementors. They had been exploring this before, but the Ministry did not let them; however, with the deaths of the Death Eaters inside Azkaban, the Ministry will be forced to agree to look for alternate options for guards. The Ministry wouldn't want to be seen not doing anything about the dementor situation after the attack on you and the deaths inside the cell."
"Besides", added Lily, "prolonged exposure to the Dementors would have driven the Death Eaters crazy. If they ever break out or are broken out, they will unleash this craziness upon the innocent people. And that will be a tough pill to swallow, Harry. You would feel terrible for not having dealt with them when you could."
Harry argued, "But doesn't killing them for the crimes they might commit lead to darkness?"
"Darkness?", exclaimed Charlus. "No child, it isn't. You aren't killing them for your personal gain. You are having them killed for the crimes they have committed, not for the ones they might commit. Besides as the Head of three of the six houses of the High Council, your duty to Mother Magic precedes everything else. You didn't have any issue executing them as High Council, so you should not have any issue doing it covertly either. In fact, this approach will also ensure that neither of the High Council members nor their friends are targeted by Riddle sympathizers."
"You make a fair point, grandpa", admitted Harry. "I apologize for questioning your method."
"Think nothing of it, Harry", replied Charlus. "You learn quite a lot through discussions. Besides, I am proud of you for getting your point across. It will help you in your exploits as the head of the houses."
James added, "Yes, son. Seems like you have learnt quite a lot in the time with the extended family, as you put it."
Harry had a wide smile on his face. Lily said, "At least you are not wandering around like your father. He walked around as if he owned the school and kept pulling pranks on people. He was a downright git sometimes."
Harry and Charlus chuckled as James had a fake pout. He replied with a wide smile, "You did love me though. You couldn't get enough of me which is why you kept an eye on me."
Lily said after a pause, "I think there is a way you can handle it legally, but it depends on a few things. Why don't you put out an article on the newspapers? You know that Wormtail had broken out or been broken out by someone. The ministry stationed the dementors to capture him. Wormtail hasn't been captured yet, nobody knows how he broke out or where he is. How can the ministry guarantee that the same wouldn't happen with the remaining prisoners? What will the ministry do when these ten break out and start terrorizing Magical Britain again? The least that the ministry can do is hand over the deadliest prisoners to the ICW. We can then hope that the ICW can deal with them by executing them."
"If that can happen,", began Harry, "why can't the ICW go after all the remaining Death Eaters?"
Charlus replied, "Because these are convicted. The remaining were tried by the Wizengamot and declared not guilty. ICW will not deal with them because Magical Britain won't ask them to. Since it will be the opinion of the wizarding public, should the Death Eaters be broken out of Azkaban by someone, the entire ministry will face an enquiry."
James, thought for a moment and added, "What if, before putting anything out in the media, you send out an anonymous letter to the panel of warlocks at ICW? I don't think publicizing the matter will help you in attaining the desired result."
Charlus nodded and added, "Good point, James. So, this is what you have to do. Send a letter to the panel. Given that the next Wizengamot session is a month away, ICW will hold a session before the Wizengamot session. You will have to hope that the ICW is cunning in their approach and catch the ministry blindsided. However, if it fails, you will have to go with the plan of poisoning them."
Harry agreed.
Charlus said, "We will discuss more about the plans later if you think the plans need changing after you've spoken with everyone else. Now why don't you call for your grandmother and we all can have a happy family talk." And so they did. For the next few hours, Harry, his parents and his grandparents talked about anything and everything. They decided to call it time and meet again after the Winter Solstice session. It was a tearful goodbye for Harry, but he felt good for having had the chance to talk to his parents and grandparents.
The next day after breakfast, every member of the extended family were gathered in the Tower. Harry said, "I need to show you a memory of my interaction with my parents and my grandfather. After I told them of our situation, they had some suggestions. I want everyone to see and then plan for them. We don't have much time if we are to follow grandpa's timeframe."
Sirius replied in a serious tone, "Well, if that's the case, let's head into the trunk. I don't think Minerva and Remus can be with us for too long."
The group entered the trunk and headed into the library. Harry had already extracted the memory and stored it in a vial. He emptied it into the projector pensieve. He asked Dobby to provide everyone with writing supplies. After everyone had received writing supplies, Harry played the memory and took a seat among his friends.
After they had finished watching the memory once, Harry asked from his seat, "Thoughts?"
Everyone had a faraway look. Harry was sure that the adults except Dora and the Grangers were reminiscing their times with his parents and grandparents. Augusta was the first to reply, "Well, Charlus has a valid point. We were planning everything assuming everything would go our way, which won't always be the case."
Amelia added, "Informing the Wizengamot and Magical Britain about opening an investigation on Dumbledore has another added benefit besides what the Potters said. Dumbledore, being the politician he is, will be very careful going forward. We are not giving away that we know everything that he has done, but with the information he knows we have, we are pushing for actions from the Wizengamot. Besides, in hindsight, I think we should have called for his dismissal during Sirius' trial itself. The fact that we did not go for it could have alarmed him."
"Agreed", said Sirius. "So, we are getting Dumbledore removed this Winter Solstice. Next, what do we do about the imprisoned Death Eaters?"
"I agree with Charlus' point", said Augusta. "They need to be killed. If not legally, then by any other means, but they need to go. We have seen what they are capable of."
"As much as we would like to execute them", said Sirius, "doing it illegally, if ever discovered in the future, will be catastrophic." He turned to Harry and asked, "Did you go through the Grimoire?"
Harry nodded and said, "There are two potions that the Peverells used to use on prisoners. The first potion acts on the body 48 hours after ingestion. It tortures the victim to death. The victim goes mute once the potion is in effect. The victim would be dead within 6 hours of the torture. The other potion kills the victim with heart failure somewhere between 5-7 days after ingestion. It does not leave any sign of torture. Both the potions have a very strong smell."
"I wish there was some other way to deal with these vermin, but I think the Potters are right. We need to do what must be done to avoid too big of a mess", mused Minerva.
"But why Winter Solstice?", asked Hermione.
Amelia said, "We provide better food to the prisoners of Azkaban on each of the magically auspicious days than the ones they usually receive. Halloween, the Equinoxes, the Solstices, etc. are always longed for by the prisoners at Azkaban. These are the only days when the DMLE sends staff with food. The human guards enjoy their meals while the aurors provide food to them."
Richard asked, "So, we are only going to execute these ten? I don't think we should put our kids through it. I mean, I understand why it needs to be done but can we try the other approach that the Potters suggested?"
Augusta nodded and said, "I think we should be ready for both. We will obviously hope that ICW can take care of the prisoners; however, should they fail, we need to poison them. If we could somehow suppress the smell from the second potion that Harry just mentioned .."
Hermione added, "I think I can help with the smell. There is a potion crafted by one of my ancestors that can be used to mask the smell without altering the effects of the potion."
"Alright then", said Ted. "Who is going to do it? I will write the letter to the ICW in a way that will force them to act. Dumbledore might be the Supreme Mugwump, but if the majority of the ICW support the act, there is nothing the old fool can do. While we are at it, I will also be writing to the Queen of England. If both force the issue, the ministry will have to hand over the prisoners to ICW."
Amelia said, "Alright, that sounds good. The Mundane Prime Minister was already surprised when he heard that Pettigrew had not been executed. As for the backup plan, I think I will put Dora and Moody on it after I get an oath from him. I will need Rufus and Shack in the Wizengamot should things take a bad turn."
"I will be working on the article for Mind the Twinkle", said Xeno.
Sirius added, "I will speak with the Chief Editor of Daily Prophet."
"Excellent", added Ted. "I will be sending out mails to someone from the ministry and the ICW to verify the authenticity of the cure for lycanthropy once it is ready. Remus, you will have to wait till we get the required certification from the authorities. This will prevent any unwanted questions."
The group started discussing how they would approach Dumbledore's dismissal and interrogate Snape while Ted started writing the letters to the ICW and the Queen of England. Sirius said, "I have a faint idea why Dumbledore might be protecting Snape. During Pettigrew's interrogation, he said something, but I am not quite sure it is true. And if it is, I am afraid Harry, Remus and I might kill him. So might Neville and Augusta." He held up his hand to stop anybody from speaking as he told them what Peter had told him about the conversation he had overheard between Dumbledore and Snape. Sirius was right. The four of them had been triggered and looked like they might kill both the fools. Sirius and the rest tried to calm them down. Sirius said, "Harry, if this is true, trust me, Snape will die the most brutal death."
Harry, who was still angry, replied, "No, you won't do a thing unless I find the truth from him. I understand that you did not tell me because I would be angry, but you could have tried to find the truth, and maybe you did, I don't know. I am not angry with you. I am mad at Dumbledore and Snape. I will handle Snape. I will push him so hard that he will do something stupid. Make sure that he is sacked."
Sirius placed a hand on Harry's shoulder, and said, "No, Harry, you don't understand. Snape owes or say owed a life debt to James because of a stupid prank I had pulled on Snape. If Snape indeed had told of the prophecy to Riddle, he is partially responsible for James' death. Given that when James died, he was the Lord of Potter and Peverell, and that had also endangered the fate of the ancient lines, you can call the life debt and word it in a way so that Snivellus will suffer only if he had played a role in the death of James. I can help you with the wording."
Harry thought about it and agreed. He asked everyone else, "Does anyone have any issue with it?"
When nobody said anything, Harry pressed on, "When can we do this?"
Augusta said, "The only thing is we need Snape's testimony about Dumbledore's involvement in the matter. It will help us charge Dumbledore for siding with a criminal despite knowing what he had done and get to know if there was anything Snape had been asked to do."
"Agreed", added Amelia. "We will have to include that in the wording as well."
"Can we please get rid of him as our potions teacher as well?", asked Susan with hope. All the kids had same look. "The entire school will be happy with him gone."
"Alright, we will make sure of that", said Sirius. He and the remaining magical adults but Ted started to work on the wording. The kids and the Grangers were sitting and talking about how they had handled Weasley's outburst.
After a few hours had passed in the trunk, the magical adults returned. Ted was first brought up to speed regarding their action against Snape. After Ted had agreed, he read the first letter that was addressed to the ICW panel of warlocks.
Respected Panel of the Warlocks,
The International Confederation of Wizards.
It is with grave concern that I pen down this letter on behalf of my client, one Harry James Potter. It has been more than two months since a Death Eater by the name of Peter Pettigrew broke out of Azkaban. The Ministry of Magic had decided to station dementors around Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry to capture the fugitive, but he hasn't been found yet. Nobody knows how Pettigrew escaped Azkaban just after a few months of his imprisonment. Nor does anyone have a clue where he might be. One thing regarding Peter Pettigrew is that he is allegedly the last person to have seen Dark Lord Voldemort when he was supposedly killed; however, his body was not found. Or at least, the British Ministry of Magic did not print that information.
My main concern is that Azkaban is guarded by dementors. These creatures had aligned themselves with the Dark Lord Voldemort in the previous war when Britain lost many a lives. How can the rest of Magical Britain and I be sure that they did not help in the escape of Peter Pettigrew? This brings us to my main reason for this letter. Azkaban currently houses some of the deadliest of Death Eaters: Bellatrix Lestrange, Rabastan and Rodolphus Lestrange, Antonin Dolohov and Augustus Rookwood among the others. If they were to break out or be broken out, it will cause a mayhem of epic proportions. Too many lives have been lost and many more may be lost. The British Minister of Magic and the Chief Warlock do not think that it is possible, but the people of Magical Britain are afraid. I would like to point out that my client, one Harry James Potter of the Most Ancient and Most Noble Houses of Potter and Peverell, has lost his confidence in the British Minister of Magic and the Chief Warlock. He also feels that no one from the ministry excluding Madam Amelia Bones of Department of Magical Law Enforcement is trustworthy. Had this been an ideal world, he would have demanded the execution of the imprisoned Death Eaters, but given what happened with Peter Pettigrew, he believes that the Death Eaters would be broken out of Azkaban before the Wizengamot can take any action.
My client has asked me to send a similar letter to the Queen of England. He hopes that the ICW and the Queen will do what is right, and justice will prevail.
Yours faithfully,
Edward Tonks.
Solicitor on Retainer for Most Ancient and Most Noble Houses of Potter and Peverell
Solicitor on Retainer for Ancient and Most Noble Houses of Gryffindor and Ravenclaw
Please Note: The letter has been charmed to prevent the reader from remembering Harry James Potter's and my names. It has also been charmed to protect from unwanted readers.
Ted then said, "I wanted to make it anonymous, but nobody is going to read it if they don't know who the sender is. With Harry's name behind the letters, we are guaranteed to get some reaction at least. The same goes for the Queen. One name people might know is his. I am also hoping that the ICW get the hint that we want Amelia to be assigned as the British representative." Though Harry did not like his name being used, he had to agree with Ted's reasoning. It was something his grandfather had also said. Ted then read the letter to the Queen:
Madam,
It is with grave concern that I pen down this letter on behalf of my client, one Harry James Potter. It has been more than two months since a Death Eater (a member of a terrorist organization) by the name of Peter Pettigrew broke out of Azkaban (the wizarding prison). The Ministry of Magic had decided to station dementors (foul creatures who guard Azkaban) around Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry to capture the fugitive, but he hasn't been found yet. Nobody knows how Pettigrew escaped Azkaban just after a few months of his imprisonment. Nor does anyone have a clue where he might be. One thing regarding Peter Pettigrew is that he is allegedly the last person to have seen the Dark Lord Voldemort (head of the terrorist organization) when he was supposedly killed; however, his body was not found. Or at least, the British Ministry of Magic did not print that information.
My main concern is that Azkaban is guarded by dementors. These creatures had aligned themselves with the Dark Lord Voldemort in the previous war when Britain lost many a lives. How can the rest of Magical Britain and I be sure that they did not help in the escape of Peter Pettigrew? This brings us to my main reason for this letter. Azkaban currently houses some of the deadliest of Death Eaters: Bellatrix Lestrange, Rabastan and Rodolphus Lestrange, Antonin Dolohov and Augustus Rookwood among others. If they were to break out or be broken out, it will cause a mayhem of epic proportions. Too many lives have been lost and many more may be lost. The British Minister of Magic and the Chief Warlock do not think that it is possible, but the people of Magical Britain are afraid. I would like to point out that my client, one Harry James Potter of the Most Ancient and Most Noble Houses of Potter and Peverell, has lost his confidence in the British Minister of Magic and the Chief Warlock. He also feels that no one from the ministry excluding Madam Amelia Bones of Department of Magical Law Enforcement is trustworthy. Had this been an ideal world, he would have demanded the execution of the imprisoned Death Eaters, but given what happened with Peter Pettigrew, he believes that the Death Eaters would be broken out of Azkaban before the Wizengamot can take any action.
My client has asked me to send a similar letter to the International Confederation of Wizards. He hopes that the ICW and Her Majesty will do what is right and justice will prevail.
I have the honor to be, Madam, Your Majesty's humble and obedient servant,
Mr. Edward Tonks.
Solicitor on Retainer for Most Ancient and Most Noble Houses of Potter and Peverell
Solicitor on Retainer for Ancient and Most Noble Houses of Gryffindor and Ravenclaw
"The letter to Her Majesty will be taken by Sirius and Augusta. I will go with them to give her the legal options from the perspective of Magical Britain", said Ted after having read out the letter. "The reason why I think we should write to the Queen is that if she agrees that ICW must deal with the prisoners, Fudge and the wizengamot cannot do anything. Furthermore, as the Queen must always be updated regarding any change in situations in Magical Britain, the ministry cannot question Queen's source of information."
It was a great plan and the group agreed to it. Sirius then read the statement that Harry would use to call the life debt.
I, Harry James Potter, Head of the Most Ancient and Most Noble Houses of Potter and Peverell, and Ancient and Most Noble Houses of Gryffindor and Ravenclaw, hereby call forth the life debt owed by Severus Tobias Snape to Late James Charlus Potter, former Head of the Most Ancient and Most Noble Houses of Potter and Peverell, and Ancient and Most Noble Houses of Gryffindor and Ravenclaw. If Severus Tobias Snape has played any part in the death of James Charlus Potter, and thus, endangering the ancient lines of Potter, Peverell, Gryffindor and Ravenclaw, I ask of Mother Magic to punish Severus Tobias Snape with the following. Severus Tobias Snape can never speak a word about this meeting with anyone through speech or in writing, nor provide a memory. Within a period of two weeks, Severus Tobias Snape will provide me with separate written testimonies regarding his part in the death of my parents, what sort of arrangement he has with one Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore, why Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore saved him from going to Azkaban, and the crimes that he has committed after he became the potions master of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. He will also provide me with the memories of each of them. After completing them, he will hand over all the written testimonies and the memories and surrender himself to the Department of Magical Law Enforcement for the crimes he has committed after he became the potions master of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. All the while he must relive his worst memories. Should he fail to do so, I ask that he be stripped of Mother Magic's blessing and life for playing a part in the death of the very person who he owed a life debt to. I also demand that he cannot harm himself nor get himself harmed by anybody before completing my conditions. Nor can he harm anyone from this moment onwards in word or deed. May Mother Magic judge my words and validate my claim. So I say, so mote it be.
Sirius then said, "I think that covers about everything. Usually, you cannot ask so many things in a life debt; however, given that Snivellus might have brought about the death of James whom he owed a life debt to which also threatened to end the sacred lines, you are able to ask these things."
Harry replied, "I am going to snoop through his mind before I call the life debt. I want to be completely sure. We have potions tomorrow. I am going to stay back after the class and get it done." Before anyone could object, Harry continued, "I know I don't need to, but I want to. I want to know exactly what he did before calling the life debt. I hate the existence of the man, and if I find he was responsible, I am going to plant a Peverell enchantment in his mind that will torture him psychologically every night."
Hermione placed her hand on his arm, "Are you sure about it, Harry? I know he would probably deserve it but are you sure you want to do it? I mean I don't want you to regret it later."
"He could be the reason my parents died, Hermione", replied Harry. "He could be the reason why Neville's parents are currently in St. Mungo's. Someone like him shouldn't even be anywhere near us kids. If that wasn't enough, he consistently bullied Neville and me. He deserves everything that is coming his way and more. None of my family magics will settle for any less. He could have wiped off my family lines. I don't know how to explain but ever since my treatment in the Time Chamber, my magic always takes an aggressive stance around Snape. It is as if my magic knows something about him."
Hermione tightly hugged Harry. Neville, Luna and Susan joined the hug too.
Sirius then said, "Okay, it is decided then. Tomorrow, Harry will deal with Snivellus. I will send a letter requesting Her Majesty's appointment at the earliest. Ted will dispatch the letter for ICW. Andi will start working on the potion for lycanthropy. Minerva will start looking for options for new potions master. Amelia needs to get Moody on board for both the plans. Xeno, Augusta and Remus need to work on the articles. The Grangers will be managing The Phoenix Group for a while and teach us Royal Etiquettes. We will take the trunk with us so that the Grangers have enough time to educate us. And then we play the waiting game."
The group, with all their assigned tasks, exited the trunk, which was sent to Lily's Keep with Tony.